Jessica Gamez was at a Motel 6 with her 8-year-old son, Damian, and her boyfriend of nearly two years, Leo Permanante, when she went into labor with her second child.

All of their clothing and essentials were in the parking lot, stuffed into "Old Yeller," the '82 Monte Carlo they bought for $700. Everything else they owned was in a storage unit they couldn't afford, days from being auctioned to the highest bidder. They were flat broke, homeless and frightened.

Instead of heading toward the hospital, Gamez told Permanante to drive her to the Salvation Army. They needed to deliver their pay stubs and other paperwork to be considered for assistance. At 6 p.m., after a tense day of waiting to learn about their eligibility, she told her boyfriend it was time.

"All through the delivery, the only thing I could think about was where we were going to go after we left the hospital, which really messed me up mentally," she said. "And the baby's heart would stop beating every time I had a contraction."

Celio came out "sunny-side up" — face up, rather than face down. Doctors told Gamez later that they would have rushed her to the emergency room for a cesarean section if they had known, but everything turned out fine: He was a beautiful and healthy little boy.

Gamez and Permanante believe God has put them through a storm for the last couple of years.

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"We were being tried," said Permanante as he cradled his baby son, now 3 months old, in the living room of their new apartment in Marina — a home they wouldn't have without the generosity of the Salvation Army and Permanante's family.

Gamez was a seven-year employee of a major grocery chain, in management, when she opted to take a paid leave of absence to deal with stress and spend more time with Damian, who suddenly had begun misbehaving.

She met Permanante at a backyard barbecue. They began dating. In December 2011, she became pregnant with Celio.

Permanante, who worked in sheet metal and heating, moved into a small apartment with Gamez and Damian, and hosted his own daughters, Malaya (now 12) and Charisma (7) on weekends. But the quarters were cramped, so they soon upgraded to a three-bedroom home in Salinas.

They adopted three pit bulls, a canine family that quickly expanded to 12 when the female had nine puppies. Life was good.

But then it took a southward turn when Gamez lost her job and Permanante's work dried up. Bills mounted and they fell behind on their rent.

"We lived (at the Salinas house) for about a year, then had to move," Permanante said. "So we put everything we owned into a 24-foot U-Haul."

The family bounced from hotel to hotel as they searched for a new living situation. They reluctantly rented a storage unit for their belongings, and got rid of all but one dog, Giant, who went with them to Redding, along with Gamez's mother, who owned a vacant rental home there.

"We all slept on the floor on blow-up mattresses," Permanante said. "The kids loved it. To them, it was like camping. Jessica kept my spirits up, kept telling me not to give up, and I did the same for her."

When the Redding arrangement ran its course, they returned to Monterey in dire straits, searching desperately for an affordable living space. But their credit rating had become a liability.

"We were looking for a house, a duplex, an apartment, a studio, anything at all," said Gamez, eight months pregnant at the time. "The hardest part was being told no, no, no, and hell no all the time because of our credit."

She recalls spending most of one night in a motel parking lot, sleeping in Old Yeller until 2:30 a.m., when they finally decided to spring for a room. Their church occasionally provided them with bags of groceries. Finally, Gamez talked a reluctant Permanante into asking the Salvation Army for help.

"I didn't want the assistance," he said. "My feeling was, 'I can do it myself.' It was very humbling."

Thanks to a big-hearted apartment manager, the Salvation Army, which contributed $500, and members of Permanante's family, who loaned them $1,400, they were able to move into their current location. The kids — hers, his and theirs — are happy, healthy and thriving in school.

Gamez and Permanante say they feel optimistic about the future. They're planning to get married someday soon, and both are excited about the prospect of returning to the workforce.

"Everything we've gone through has strengthened our relationship," Gamez said. "I think we've learned through this that we're always going to be there for each other, regardless of what we're going through. I love him, and I've told Leo that he isn't going anywhere."

Operation Christmas Cheer

Operation Christmas Cheer is sponsored by The Herald, the Salvation Army and 1st Capital Bank to help local families that find themselves in need this time of year.

Operation Christmas Cheer has raised more than $2 million, which has been distributed to needy Monterey County families and individuals over the holidays.

The money helps families who have come to the Salvation Army for support. Applications are screened and contributions will go directly to assist Salvation Army clients on the Peninsula and in the Salinas Valley.

During the coming weeks, The Herald will profile several families needing help this year.

A special feature of the Operation Christmas Cheer campaign is that contributors can have a brief personalized holiday message published in the newspaper by using a coupon printed each day in The Herald or by printing it from The Herald's website, www.montereyherald.com.